Attain

The Attain Progam (formerly Reach for the Sky) was designed and deployed first in 2013 by our founder Dr Tony Cree. The program which was crafted with the special needs of Indigenous boys in mind, has been a great success. Despite its nature as an educational program, this program also provides an aspirational platform of encouragement and personal development.

The program is designed for Indigenous boys aged between 11 and 18 years old. The program is highly adaptable, and has been deployed in a range of urban, regional and remote locations.

The Attain program addresses three major needs and societal issues:

1) The ongoing literacy and numeracy needs of Indigenous Australians. Far too many Aboriginal students are falling below national benchmarks, and are as such falling behind at school. With extra tutorial assistance, the ALF aims to reverse this trend amongst the chosen Reach for the Sky participants. By increasing assistance available to the students, we aim to improve their performance at school.

2) Boys in particular are becoming less engaged as they grow older and progress through school. With this lack of engagement, boys are attending school less and can develop problems both with their education and within the wider society. Distractions outside of school can often lead boys to make poor life choices, and cause long-term personal disadvantage. We believe that with good mentorship and knowledge of positive pathways, we can in time help these boys overcome this negative cycle.

3) It is a sad truth that Indigenous men are classified as one of the most disadvantaged groups in Australia due to generational dislocation, racism and a lack of opportunity.

The program aims to not only tutor these boys and young men, but also to inspire them onto further education, and positive career pathways. It is an aspirational program based around individual and collective encouragement and development.

The Attain program can transform the lives of these Indigenous children. By focusing on literacy and numeracy education, and working in collaboration with local communities and partners, we can develop the boys’ literacy skills so that they can succeed in school and beyond. Allowing these boys to pursue quality education and reach their full potential will ensure they become real contributors to their community and country.

We keep our project flexible to accommodate boys from different backgrounds and age groups. Each year, our boys graduate onto other programs or are given advice and assistance to enter higher schooling or cadetships.